Jalen Beeks

BIOGRAPHY

Jalen Christopher Beeks was born on July 10, 1993, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is a pitcher in the MLB.

Beeks attended Prairie Grove High School in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, graduating in 2011. He enrolled at Crowder College, and transferred to the University of Arkansas, where he played college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. For the 2014 season, Bleeks started 13 games with a 6–4 record and 1.98 earned run average (ERA).

The Boston Red Sox selected Beeks in the 12th round of the 2014 MLB draft. He signed and made his debut that same year for the GCL Red Sox, pitching five scoreless innings. In 2015, he pitched for the Greenville Drive of the Class A South Atlantic League, where he had a 9–7 win–loss record with a 4.32 earned run average (ERA) in 26 starts, and in 2016, he pitched both for the Salem Red Sox of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League and Portland Sea Dogs of the Class AA Eastern League, compiling a combined 9–8 record and 3.87 ERA in 26 starts.

On July 25, 2018, Beeks was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. With the Rays, Beeks made 12 appearances through the end of the season, compiling a 5–0 record with a 4.47 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 44 1⁄3 innings.

Beeks began the 2019 season with Tampa Bay. He was optioned to the Triple-A Durham Bulls on June 28, and was recalled on July 16. He finished the season with a 6-3 record, 4.31 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 89 strikeouts over 104.1 innings at the MLB level.

In 2017, Beeks played for Portland and the Pawtucket Red Sox of the Class AAA International League. The Red Sox named him their Minor League Pitcher of the Year after he posted a combined 11–8 record, 3.29 ERA, and 1.21 WHIP in 26 games started between the two teams. The Red Sox added Beeks to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season. He began the 2018 season with Pawtucket.

Beeks was promoted to Boston's active roster on June 7, 2018, in order to make his MLB debut in a start against the Detroit Tigers. 

On March 22, 2022, Beeks signed a $0.75 million contract with the Rays, avoiding salary arbitration.